_Michaelmas Goose._--It was long a prevalent notion that the practice of eating goose on Michaelmas Day arose from the circumstance that Queen Elizabeth received the news of the defeat of the Spanish Armada whilst partaking of a goose on that anniversary. This, however, is disproved by the fact that, so far back as the tenth year of Edward IV. (1470), one John de la Hay was bound, amongst other services, to render to William Barnaby, lord of Lastres, in Herefordshire, for a parcel of the demesne lands, “xx^{d} and one goose fit for his lord’s dinner on the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel.”--_Sports, Pastimes, and Customs of London_, 1847, p. 37. In the poems of George Gascoigne, 1575, occur too the following lines:-- “And when the tenantes come to paie their quarter’s rent, They bring some fowle at Midsummer, a dish of fish in Lent; At Christmasse a capon, at Michaelmasse a goose, And somewhat else at New-yere’s tide, for feare their lease flie loose.” Blount, in his _Tenures_, says that probably no other reason can be given for this custom but that Michaelmas day was a great festival, and geese at that time were most plentiful.--See Brand’s _Pop. Antiq._, 1849, vol. i. pp. 367-371. BERKSHIRE. It appears from a tablet in the church at Great Coxwell, that the Rev. David Collier charged certain lands in the hamlet of Little Coxwell with the payment of eight bushels of barley yearly, on the 29th of September, for teaching the poor children of this parish to read, write, and cast accounts, for three years, when they were to be succeeded by two others to be taught for the same term, and so on successively for ever, and he empowered the vicar and churchwardens, or the major part of them (the vicar being always one) to nominate the children. The payment has been regularly made, sometimes in kind, but latterly in money estimated at the price of barley, at the Farringdon market, the nearest to the day when the annual payment becomes due. The payment is made, under the direction of the churchwardens, to a schoolmistress for teaching three children to read, and, if girls, to mark also. The number of children was formerly two only, who were further taught to write and cast accounts; but this part of their education was discontinued many years ago in consequence at the inadequacy of the fund, and, instead thereof an additional child was sent to be instructed with the others.--Edwards, _Old English Customs and Charities_, p. 40.